Is Disney Listening?

Advertisement

Here's a truism for you: Disney fans are passionate. I'm sure that surprises no one. Whenever there's a news item that might affect a Disney park, we tend to weigh in quickly and emphatically. Whatever the change is, our tendency is to celebrate the good news or ask what those idiots in Imagineering were thinking—we don't usually take up space in the middle ground.

I was perusing social media the other day and caught a post from one of my Facebook friends, a fellow Disney fanatic. He had recently heard a rumor that the Voices of Liberty, the a cappella group that sings in the rotunda of the American Adventure, would be leaving Epcot.

While this rumor turned out to be false, it so incensed him that he posted a self-described rant about the perceived direction of Walt Disney World. As so often happens, scores of other posters jumped on this bandwagon and began chiming in with gripes of their own or simply reinforcing displeasure with what was already written—in many instances, completely missing the retraction of the original rumor. There were only a few posts, by my informal count, that questioned or debated some of the claims.

If there were a theme to the rant, it seemed to ask, "Is Disney listening to its guests?" I contacted the poster and received permission to reprint some of the rant here. In some cases, I agree; in others, not so much. In any case, I thought that delineating a point / counterpoint here would provide both sides of the issues and, as always, allow others to weigh in and discuss.

After detailing why the Voices of Liberty issue (remember that this was proven to be false) upset him, the poster wrote: "Shall we start with a small list of how much less Disney magic holds for its guests while upping their prices?" The list, and my comments, follow:

"Okay how about last year when the [annual passport] prices now are the same for a 3-year (old) as well as (for) a 63-year old. What?!"

Sadly, this is absolutely true. The annual pass appears to be the only ticket media that is priced this way. Magic Your Way tickets, water park passes, Disney Quest, and so on, all have at least slightly reduced prices for children (3 to 9 years old). I can only believe this is an example of Disney pricing an item to what the market will bear. I can think of no other justification.

"How about the complete failure of the Fastass Plus system? That's right. I'm saying it right here. Complete failure. Instead of giving guests more access, it has created the complete opposite. Have you been in a park lately and seen the long lines at the Fastpass+ kiosks, or even better, how some attractions have longer Fastpass lines than standby lines?"

This one is not so easy, evidenced by the "spirited" response to my recent column on Fastpass+ strategies. First, I take issue with terming it a "complete failure". I know many people, especially those who were prolific users of the old Fastpass system, have issues with new one. Most issues seem to focus on the "one park per day" and "three Fastpass tickets per day" restrictions. For some other touring styles, mine included, the new system works nicely allowing me to set up Fastpass attractions in advance and tour in a more leisurely style. Like many things, it works well for some and not so well for others.

However, please remember that the Fastpass+ system is technically still in a testing phase. The minds at Disney are watching and learning just as we are. I don't think these systems are anyway near complete, and truly believe there will be changes designed to address at least some of the perceived shortcomings. As evidence, I recently took a Disney survey, focused on Fastpass+, which asked my opinion of alternative systems. These alternatives were consistent in that they addressed multiple parks per day and more than three Fastpass tickets each day. The differences were in how and when the additional Fastpass tickets would become available.

My assessment is that I don't think Disney would be surveying guests if they hadn't already recognized some of the shortcomings and are planning changes. Let's not pass final judgment on Fastpass+ until it's fully operational.

"When it comes to runDisney, my fellow runners can give you a list a mile long. Race Retreat allows runners a tent with food and private porta-potties and all that stuff. Yeah… years ago when a nice hot breakfast was offered after your race… it was around $80… lately for $100+ you get eggs, maybe a bagel… some hash browns… water and soda… yeah soda… oh… forgot the real bad bacon. This is NONSNESE and my fellow runners are all telling the new runners… Don't waste your money.

"Shall we talk about race registrations that are ridiculously overpriced? Sure… we'll pay them but guess what… we won't be staying on the property, going into parks, or eating at sit-down restaurants anymore because we have to shift somehow… so bottom line is that the revenue stream is reduced… good move runDisney. Over the last eight years race registrations have doubled… has your salary doubled over the last eight years?…

"… Also, for those of you who are not runners runDisney just subtly put on their runDisney page that no longer will someone will be able to pick up your race packet if your flight is delayed or if you want to save a vacation day at work or keep your kids in school one more day. Is this policy change driven due to liability issues or revenue stream issues? Dunno… runDisney isn't saying."

My running days ended years ago with back surgery and (later) a bad knee. I no longer run unless something bigger and hungrier is chasing me. However, I can sympathize here but… only to a degree. There's no doubt that these events are expensive, and getting more expensive each year. There are also many, many more events each year. I also read that many of these events are selling out in days, hours or even minutes after registration is available. More runners, more events, and selling out fast—what does all that tell you?

This, to me, is truly a case of speaking with your wallet. As a business (and let's not kid ourselves—Disney is a business), if I offered something that attracted increasing numbers of people and sold out quickly, I would certainly consider raising its price—and continuing to raise the price until the demand began to erode. Why would I not?

If consumers are getting less for their money, it becomes incumbent on them to speak with their wallet and no longer purchase something viewed as overpriced and/or undervalued.

Regarding the new requirement that runners must pick up their own race packets at the expo, this does sound like an inconvenience without good cause. I can't see how it could be a revenue issue, and its involving liability seems a stretch.

"Speaking of dining… Tables In Wonderland… how many more restaurants will be (taken) off the list of this discount offer before it becomes useless?"

I do take issue with this complaint. I've had a Tables in Wonderland card for many years and, while I lament the price increase for the card (see supply/demand, above) I've seen no evidence of the number of restaurants being diminished. I use this card for 20 percent off food and drink at almost all the table service restaurants and bars/lounges within Walt Disney World. It's also accepted at a few counter service establishments as well. I haven't done a year by year comparison but today's list of establishments looks no smaller than one from several years ago.

"Oh but you know we are building AvatarLand in Disney's Animal Kingdom Park. Good luck with that."

Ouch. Yeah, I know where this is coming from. As a film, Avatar does not have the universal appeal of the Star Wars series, or the Harry Potter books and films used as the basis for the new attractions at Universal Studios' Wizarding World of Harry Potter. As a result, many (most?) Disney fans are skeptical of what may arise at Disney's Animal Kingdom.

Personally, I favor a wait-and-see approach. New attractions from the Imagineers rarely disappoint—yes, I once wrote about Stitch's Supersonic Celebration and I don't think I've ever been more disappointed in an attraction. At any rate, I've seen comments from Disney, such as: "…world of AVATAR guests will encounter awe-inspiring floating mountains and wander through a nighttime jungle of bioluminescent plants that are alive with light and sound. Guests will also discover what it feels like to soar into the sky riding a Banshee."

I can't help it—that all sounds really cool. At the least, I'm willing to give Imagineering the benefit of the doubt before condemning this venture.

"And if you haven't heard other rumors… like this year could be the last year for Osborne Lights and possibly Illuminations: Reflections of Earth… well… sorry to ruin your day."

I have heard these rumors but, honestly, until they're facts, I can't get overly excited. Worrying about what might happen is not something with which I'm comfortable. I've not heard anything specific about the Osborne Lights and I have no indication it's going away anytime soon. Obviously, that could change in a heartbeat.

I seriously doubt that Illuminations would be going anywhere without a suitable replacement. I have heard, from a source I consider very reliable, that testing for new fireworks shows has been going on for a while and just might involve parks that have previously not offered a fireworks show. I would suspect Wishes is safe for quite a while but… Illuminations: Reflections of Earth has been around for some time. I truly love this show but would an upgrade or replacement be that far-fetched?

"Oh but we have a big, beautiful parade in [the Magic Kingdom] and it looks great… long time coming… I don't want anyone to think I don't appreciate the cost and effort that went into putting this together… but it's been a long time, and whatever happened to having parades in the other parks?"

I'm on the bandwagon with the new Festival of Fantasy parade at the Magic Kingdom—it looks great. The other parks? Well, we do have Mickey's Jammin' Jungle Parade in the Animal Kingdom (and its Christmas season version). It's a well-done, fun parade even though it creates issues with park navigation. There have been parades at Disney's Hollywood Studios previously but none, at least in my opinion, with the staying power of those at the Magic Kingdom. The Stars and Motor Cars parade was OK, but I was never into the High School Musical versions. It seems like Disney fans want to see the classic Disney characters in their parades.

Epcot? I loved the Tapestry of Nations parade but I'm well aware of the problems it caused—problems for guests trying to navigate the World Showcase promenade and the physical stress the large puppets placed on the cast members. I'd like to think the Imagineers could figure out a way to bring it back in a fashion that would work for park guests and cast members alike, while still keeping that great soundtrack.

"It's funny how they are quick to cut budget by wiping out Voices of Liberty but dragging their feet to fix Bre'r Rabbit in Splash Mountain or the Yeti in Expedition Everest… yet they are quick to write a check to James Cameron as a result of a knee jerk reaction to Universal's presentation of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Where's Michael Eisner when you need him?"

I have to agree here. I know, from what I've heard, that the Yeti in Expedition Everest is not an easy fix and would require a lengthy ride refurbishment to accomplish—but it's now been a few years that it hasn't worked. Ditto with Br'er Rabbit, and we could probably list several more maintenance issues that could/should be dealt with.

I'd like to think the decision to partner with James Cameron wasn't a "knee jerk reaction" to Harry Potter, but I can certainly understand the sentiment.

" So I could go on … mentioning the cutback hours for the monorail and other things… but I have bigger fish to fry today."

My information says the recent cutback to the monorail hours is due to beam maintenance, and Disney has brought on additional buses to handle the traffic. However, this comment may be based on the past decision to shut the monorails down earlier each evening. I have no idea why this was done but I agree it has a negative impact to the guest experience.

"Oh by the way, there is a rumor that the Not So (Scary) Halloween Party will run from August 29 through November 2. I'm sure it costs money to put on that party but why not stick to just October and use the savings to keep things we love like The Voices of Liberty, which have been around for years?"

I, for one, think it's ridiculous how we, as a society, seem to celebrate "holidays" as seasons rather than days—Halloween in particular. I would agree that celebrating Halloween in October makes more sense but… "savings"? I don't believe for a second that Disney would save money by cutting back on the number of Halloween parties. I think, at the prices they charge for this extra entry into the Magic Kingdom, Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party is a huge money maker for Disney. In my opinion, that's what drives the additional schedule.

"Oh and how about what many people knew as The Lights of Winter in Epcot when they were referring to the trestle with the dancing lights? Oh… old technology we were told… that's why it's gone… well wait… we still loved it and if it was technology already established then wouldn't it be less costly than developing new technology?"

I could be wrong here, but my understanding is that it was becoming impossible, or prohibitively costly, to maintain the existing, older technology lighting systems. At some point, replacement parts simply aren't available, at any cost. However, like the poster, I loved the Lights of Winter and wonder why it wasn't simply replaced with newer, less costly and more easily maintained technology. It is sorely missed each holiday season.

"So excuse my rant but for years I've been good about stuff… relatively speaking… but this latest rumor… hopefully it is… just kind of put me over the edge."

From his work, I know this to be true. There, arguably, hasn't been a bigger fan or stauncher proponent of the "Disney way" than this poster. But we all have our breaking point. Unfortunately, sometimes our emotions cause us to react without first getting all the facts.

"And… I'm calling out the WDW execs to come forward and start changing their ways. That is, if there is a change that is being considered let us in on it and how about asking us what we think about it? How about at least giving us a choice… let us tell you what we would least miss if we could make that choice."

See my earlier comments about the recent survey on Fastpass+. Disney certainly does poll their guests regularly and they seem to take comments seriously. I would join the poster in his wish for increased guest involvement to a point.

However, my experience in the business world has taught me how difficult it is to get more than a few people to agree on anything. I guess what we're asking for is to have the Imagineers continue doing what they're great at—designing and implementing new attractions for our enjoyment. But please don't do it in a vacuum. Likewise, while I think Disney fandom should have a voice in these decisions, I'm not comfortable with "John from Brooklyn" making the decisions.

Companies like Disney spend tons of money trying to determine what will sell, and what their customers will find attractive. Our history is dotted with successes and failures. Disney, at least in my opinion, seems to be right more than they're wrong, evidenced by a fairly impressive track record.

"I still say since the latest change to Spaceship Earth, it's—in a colleagues words—"An E-ticket ride going up and an A-ticket ride coming down."

It's difficult to argue with that assessment. We've had some fun with the generated video on the "coming down" side but I do believe this ride could use some work on that end.

"To keep that God awful Stitch's Great Escape going while removing the Voices of Liberty is just mind boggling to me."

As mentioned, the Voices of Liberty are staying put. Stitch's Great Escape is not a favorite of mine but, every time I walk past, there are people queued up. Personally, I preferred the previous incarnation, the Alien Encounter, but I might be in the minority.

"If you remember correctly, there was a huge uproar decades ago when Disneyland decided to replace Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln with another attraction. The folks in California felt that attraction was part of the family… it was something their children grew up with and looked forward to seeing every time they strolled into DisneyLand.

"The same holds for many things here… I know there are those who still are not OK with Snow Whites Adventures being taken away, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride long gone, and an attraction so beloved as Horizons now just a 12-minute clip on YouTube… I don't have the time to list the others… but feel free to add to the list."

Joni Mitchell once sang, "Don't it always seem to go, that you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone." I think it applies here. Our hope is that whenever an attraction is replaced, the replacement will be better than the old. Whether it is or isn't is up to the individual, and opinions will be all over the place. I also loved Horizons and I think it's easy to use that attraction in the "What's wrong with Disney?" argument. We can debate all day about whether or not Mission: Space is an improvement, but there's strong evidence that there were major issues with the Horizons structure and equally strong reports that, in its last years, ridership was down significantly.

"Let it be said that the Walt Disney World Resort is our playground. We understand it's a business and we want it to thrive and exist, but at the same time, we don't understand some of your decisions.

So you build a [Disney Vacation Club] for Grand Floridian and take away Voices of Liberty… that doesn't make sense because not everyone is a DVC member… but everyone visits Epcot… and I don't want to beat a dead horse, but as someone who is a huge science fiction fan, I can tell you that Avatar does not do it… I would say less than 20 percent of my Disney friends—and I have a lot of them—expressed an interest in this Avatar venture… "

In truth, not everyone visits Epcot—or even likes Epcot. Everyone could stay at the new DVC Villas at the Grand Floridian—not just DVC members. But, of course, everyone won't, and I get the point. For one, I don't think it's difficult to understand the business reasons behind the proliferation of new DVC resorts. Disney was, is, and will be driven by revenue. While that's not a surprise, what has separated Disney for folks like you and me is its notable commitment to excellence and customer satisfaction.

On the Avatar issue, I truly understand the skepticism. As I said earlier, let's wait and see what they come up with.

"OK, my venting is done… whether my Facebook friends agree with me or not, I hope at least you understand from where this rage comes from, and I welcome you to share this tirade with whomever you think would appreciate it."

I truly do understand where this comes from. I've certainly expressed negative opinions whenever Disney has taken away something I truly enjoyed (the Comedy Warehouse and Adventurers Club for two). But I also understand that Disney is making decisions from a broader perspective than my personal likes and dislikes. I wasn't privy to the financial records of the two Pleasure Island clubs, but even I wondered how you could sustain a bar, with live entertainment, when so few people were actually ordering drinks.

I would contend that, when it comes to new attractions, Disney and its Imagineers have had many, many more homeruns than strikeouts. For every Stitch's Supersonic Celebration, there's a Toy Story Midway Mania and an Expedition Everest. There have been many recent and positive improvements to existing attractions, like Haunted Mansion, Space Mountain, Star Tours, Test Track, and Pirates of the Caribbean. It may never be enough for us, but we can't argue that there is more now at Walt Disney World than there ever was.

Like the poster, we're all hopeful that they never lose sight of us, their biggest fans. We want things done that are positives to all, or at least most, of us. We don't like to wait for things and, above all, we want to feel like we have a voice in the changes that impact our enjoyment of the resort.

Comments

By MyTwoCents on Thu, 27 Mar 2014 01:59:13 -0700

Thank you for an interesting column. Continuing along lines of thought you shared:
1. Disney does listen: when we...wait for it...tell Disney. As opposed to...and no offense meant to this fine site nor any other non-official Disney site...simply spewing off a generic rant full of misinformed, hyperbolic ALL CAPS crankiness!!!!!! :-)
We have this internet thingy inviting our comments and we forget sometimes how communication actually works best: tell them directly.
2. Every large or small company I've worked for takes complaints seriously when: a) ignoring it will truly affect their bottom line, b) it is specific enough to be able to be acted upon, and c) the request is reasonable.
3. Take a serious look at most internet rants and we see similar patterns: Anonymity doesn't always bring out our best selves. We feed off rumors as quickly as we do truth...and often we don't stop to discern the difference. We begin with a faulty premise and support it with generic toothless threats. We fall victim to logical fallacies and fail to make a cogent argument supporting our issue/cause/complaint.
In my opinion, there are but 3 non-official Disney sites that make the conscious effort to post facts and to update often: mouseplanet.com, allears.com and touringplans.com. Each does a fine job of keeping readers informed in an entertaining style. And I would encourage each site to highlight contact information that allows direct communication with Disney, reminding readers that should they hope for response and/or resolution of their issues there is but one place that can actually affect change.

By TheKaz on Thu, 27 Mar 2014 05:20:23 -0700

yeah, I think you made good points in your response to your friend, but I cannot believe you gave more space to this semi-crazy rant based on a whole lot of rumors...

"Stitch's Great Escape is not a favorite of mine but, every time I walk past, there are people queued up."

Thats kind of like saying the sun is going nova but forget to add the bit about it won't be for another 3 billion years. When we visited in May last year there may have been 20 people queued up for Stitch while across the street the Laugh Floor was full.

People were excited when Universal advertised they were opening Harry Potter. While Disney unfortunately picked a poor cowboys vs. indians movie done in a sci fi setting with spectacular CGI, it hasn't generated anywhere near the response Harry Potter did. This is going to be one of those things that for me I will see what the ride attraction itself looks like to decide whether I want to see it or not.

I agree somewhat with the rant about DVC but will broaden it to Disney selling property for more hotels, adding to their own resorts and very very little being done to give all those extra people that they are counting on coming to have something to do, which may mean fastpass + is not the real reason why there are longer lines.

By mkelm44 on Thu, 27 Mar 2014 10:34:00 -0700

The one thing that I always have to remind myself is that Disney World and Disney Land have far more of the non-passionate fans versus those of us who would be considered passionate fans. Most of the thousands of people in Disney World on a given day don't go to Disney fan sites, keep up on the news and rumors about the parks, and feel the sense of kinship/ownership that we do. They go to Disney World every few years at most, or maybe only once or twice in their entire lives. They have no sense of weather Fastpass Plus is any better than the original Fastpass versus life before fastpass. They dont necessarily have favorite rides and shows because for many of them, it's been so long that they've been there that all of t he rides and shows are nonthing but half-forgotten memories.

Disney does a pretty good job, IMO, of trying to listen to its most passionate guests (a lesson learned from the Michael Eisner 45% no-confidence vote probably) but it can't do things only to please them. The reality of the situation is that you're right- until the most passionate fans STOP going to Disney World, STOP going to see the movies, STOP buying merchandise in the store and off the website and START making it clear why they are doing things, Disney has no motivation to change whatsoever. They're polling (and as a research professional I have to admit there are some flaws with how they conduct their polling) indicates that they're doing a very good job and that the vast majority of guests are enjoying their trips, so why make changes.

Looking at your friends list of complaints, it boils down to "I don't get as much for my money as I used to" and "Why can't it be the way that it was X years ago." The answers to that are simple as well- you don't get as much for your money because that's what happens- price inflation hits everything, and Disney is a business that is trying to make money. We've all seen the articles that Disney is still a very good value for your money, but when you consider that fuel and energy costs, food costs, and a variety of other costs are all up over the last decade, Disney must either cut the services they provide or raise the cost to their guests. Neither one of those is a popular choice.

And as far as "Why can't everything be like it was X years ago" goes, the answer to that is back to my original point- most people who visit are casual, not passionate guests. You have to change things as a way to entice them to come back more often. A new thing like Avatar land might entice people to visit earlier than they would anways. What exactly does Avatar have to do with Disney-- not much really, but neither did Star Wars when Disney started partnering with George Lucas, and I would say that the relationship between Disney and Star Wars has been advantageous for both. Sometimes you really need to have faith that these things will work out for the best.

By Moms on Thu, 27 Mar 2014 11:25:10 -0700

I love the people who complain about race pricing.... My husband does Ironman triathlons. He's paying for the brand - just like people who want to participate in RunDisney events. Only he pays $600 or $700 or $800 for the privilege of exercising for 12+ hours straight. And guess what? He has to pick up his own race package too. Good on Disney for catching on that people'll pay for the medal.

By wwwdrich on Thu, 27 Mar 2014 16:45:03 -0700

A couple of comments...

We stopped buying Tables in Wonderland after the last price increase. We never go to the events since we live on the west coast, and the amount we have to spend to justify the price just doesn't add up any longer. Since we're typically only in WDW for a maximum of 2 weeks a year (usually closer to 1), there just isn't a way to pay back the cost of the program.

In our case, as the prices continue to rise and the quality of the "show" falls, we find ourselves going to the parks less and less. It used to be that we were in Disneyland every 4-6 weeks, now it's closer to every 8-10, if that. When we travel to SoCal we are just as likely to be spending time with friends off-property as we are to be doing it in the resort. While at one time I had a wardrobe of Disney items, we're purchasing almost no merchandise since the quality of much of it is so poor and virtually the only clothing options available are t-shirts.

And to the sentiment of the post, we *have* given Disney our feedback on multiple surveys and on the MyMagic+ feedback forms. To some extent I'm not sure they really want it, as the MyMagic+ survey offered no chance to provide free-form input, only the ability to click checkboxes. The only other option was to contact guest services directly in writing. We wanted to be provide additional feedback on "features" like your server taking your credentials to pay (using the MagicBand and your PIN) before you could even see how much the bill was, and then disappearing into the back to get a paper receipt for you to add the tip and sign. Obviously no one involved in the design of the system has ever traveled outside of the US where chip-n-pin cards have been the norm for years and everything is done from the hand-held device (which the devices they are using are perfectly capable of doing), including using the included wireless printer to print your receipt at the table.

There was a time when Disney balanced the need to generate revenue with the ability to entertain and attract guests. I can't help but wonder if the current administration's focus on revenue is going to bite them in the long run. The only place I haven't see this happen to date is on the cruise line, but I'm sure it's just a matter of time before it happens there as well.

One last thought. We were told at one time that the average guest visits WDW every 9 *years*, while the average guest visits Tokyo Disneyland every 60-90 *days*. I can't help but think that only part of this is cultural. Much of it is due to the way that the Oriental Land company is not afraid to invest money to provide a quality experience to the guests at a still reasonable cost. Their shows and parades are leaps ahead of anything you will find in the other Disney parks. Even Dreamlights, which uses the Electrical Parade Music, puts the current Main Street Electrical Parade to shame as TDL has continued to expand the parade and modernize the floats. When they revise an attraction, they typically go above and beyond what the US parks do, both their Tower of Terror and Monsters inc. attractions are great examples of this. While their Monsters is almost identical to the one at DCA, they added show elements to make it interactive and give the attraction more of an appeal for repeat riders (it wasn't uncommon to see 3-4 hours waits the year the attraction opened).

By SimbaOne on Fri, 28 Mar 2014 00:24:24 -0700

I think what makes Disney's actions (or lack thereof) regarding WDW even harder to swallow is when you compare it to DL. Similar to what wwwdrich said about TDL, the original DL is taken care of way better than WDW. Now, before you get out the pitchforks, I already know that the two are apples and oranges in terms of the experiences they offer. I'm not comparing what they offer, I'm comparing the quality of what they offer. It's kind of sad, really. WDW gets a new bathroom, quick service restaurant, or parking garage, and all the East Coast folks go crazy. When they add those things to DL, no one cares, because they add so many cool things there every year. Case in point, the "biggest expansion in the history of WDW" amounts to doubling the capacity and "sprucing up" Dumbo (now it finally has fountains, which DL has had forever), retheming a kiddy coaster, building a clone of The Little Mermaid (that DL had running for a year and a half already), building a couple of restaurants that, though nicely themed, are still just restaurants serving mediocre food. And to top it off? Another kiddy coaster that, while it does look nice, is no match for Cars Land, Buena Vista Street, World of Color, Mickey and the Magic Map, Fantasy Faire, Marvel Innoventions, etc. Further case in point: look at the recently refurbished Big Thunder. I won't spoil it for anybody, but DL's Big Thunder got the royal treatment compared to WDW, and these changes took place on the actual ride. Adding interactive stuff to the queues is nice, but I'll take updates to the ride over updates the to queue any day. Why couldn't they add these things to WDW's version? Don't even get me started comparing other refurbishments, like Space Mountain. If I were the Imagineering lead on that project, particularly the audio "update", I'd be terribly embarrassed. Space Mountain at DL is a super dark trip at light speed through the cosmos to loud, rocking music. Space Mountain at WDW is a rickety old ride through a dimly-lit building with the occasional music fading in and out.

But wait! WDW has FastPass+! And even more stores and restaurants coming to DD! And Avatar!

I apologize if I offended anybody with my sarcasm and generally negative attitude. In honesty, I still like WDW, and that's why I'm critical. If I didn't care about it, I wouldn't be so harsh.

If I did offend you, please wipe everything above from your mind (if you haven't already) and maybe just take away this: the main reason for my comparison is to show that Disney can listen to their fans and they can focus on quality over the bottom line. How do we know? Because they do it at Disneyland. They don't do it perfectly, but they do it much better there. And if Disney World is "too big" to focus on the details, perhaps they should consider improving what they have instead of compulsively adding more and more hotels while other parts of the resort get neglected.

By Jimbo996 on Fri, 28 Mar 2014 14:12:57 -0700

Interesting discussion. I was thinking of responding, but your post was extremely long. That was a very long rant.

I don't believe Disney has gone downhill, yet I also believe Disney isn't the best value either. Disney is exactly where they were based on customer demand. If they didn't have so much business, they wouldn't be in position to charge more and give less. They would be more generous if business was bad.

The people who are complaining about the entertainment might have fond memories of it, but times change. That's why things change. If people liked something, they would keep things as they were; however, this has an added gripe that things don't change as much at WDW as they do at Disneyland California.

Oh well. I don't do the races because I think they are a ripoff, but mainly because I'm not a runner. I just can't help feeling like the complainers have the option of not doing RunDisney. They charge way too much for the priviledge. It seems like a scam for no other reason that people feel like they deserve service from doing a run. Running is a lonely experience. Just run and finish. That's all there is to it. Why do you want to spend $200 to do it?

About MousePlanet

MousePlanet is your independent consumer guide to Disney travel and vacations, covering Disneyland, Walt Disney World and the Disney Cruise Line. Look to MousePlanet for daily news, weekly theme park updates, and detailed travel and resort guides for your favorite Disney destinations. As with any endeavor of this size and complexity, we couldn't hope to succeed without the assistance of our readers. We encourage you to submit news, updates and feedback from your Disney travels.

Join Our Newsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter for all the latest updates.

Thanks for signing up!

Follow us on

MousePlanet is not associated in any official way with the Walt Disney Company, its subsidiaries. or its affiliates. The official Disney site is available at www.disney.com. This MousePlanet Web site provides independent news articles, commentary, editorials, reviews. and guides about the Walt Disney Co. All information on this site is subject to change. Please contact destinations in advance to confirm the most up-to-date information.